Rabb.it Video Sharing: More Than Just Streaming

By Sam Finley on July 8, 2016

When I first discovered the Rabb.it website, I didn’t know it would be so important to me during college. I discovered it in my senior year of high school and it was a way a friend of mine kept in touch with me while they were off at college. Sure, their college was a thirty-minute drive away, but they still lived on campus and it’s not like our workloads gave us the luxury of a visit. But this little website kept us connected and kept us enjoying doing what we would have done if we were hanging out, and that is watching videos. Whether it was anime, something on YouTube, or trying out other TV shows people recommended to us, we spent quite a bit of time on this site. It was convenient because we didn’t have to leave to go anywhere, and it was quiet enough that my parents and my friend’s roommate wouldn’t be bothered. Now, as a third-year at FSU, I obviously didn’t go to my friend’s small college in South Florida. We’re very different people, and sometimes that keeps us miles apart (literally, in this case), but our shared hobby lives on because of this site.

My rabb.it room before starting a cast.

Rabb.it makes watching things with your friends really fun and interactive. This streaming video-sharing website allows users to chat via voice or type up short messages on the side bar chat, all while still playing your video. The bubbles at the bottom of the screen (like mine with that very anime icon on the left) show a user’s face if video is enabled, and if you pin the bubble, you can see yourself and others, like a Skype chat. Rabb.it offers access to video sites like Netflix, Hulu, HBO GO, Crunchyroll, and good ol’ YouTube. With these possibilities, plus a URL search-bar and a browser right in the stream, you can find just about anything you want to watch, from illegal early releases of the next big-hit movie (I’ll leave that up to you) to your favorite Netflix Originals.

Rabb.it makes things more consistent and organized by enabling users to start casts from their “rooms,” which are spaces specifically denoted under your username where you invite people to watch, like a virtual living room full of friends (who aren’t that virtual). Anyone who knows that URL can come into the room and watch with you. You could even password protect it if you want to go that step further. Different users can even have control of the “remote.” Frustrated with trying to find something? Drop the remote and let a friend take over the cast for a bit in your own room instead of having to switch rooms.

Besides video-sharing, rabb.it would even benefit those who don’t just want to use it for fun. You can have a work meeting over rabb.it, sharing web content live and even sharing videos and showing emails to coworkers and partners. This is especially useful for those who travel for their jobs. Use it for tutoring like Skype, but you’re able to go a step further by being on the same website as your student or teacher so communicating something is easier. It could also help with group projects and study sessions, which makes it very useful for high school and college students looking for better convenience and time management.

All around, the possibilities with rabb.it are almost endless when it comes to ways to stay connected with others and communicate on a better scale than some other technologies I have seen. I really enjoy it for just my hobby, but I think this website can make a real difference in how people stay connected in our digital world.

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